The entire disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. Hei 9-181138 filed on Jul. 7, 1997 and Hei 10-189994 filed on Jul. 6, 1998 including specification, claims, drawings and summary are incorporated herein by reference in entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates an apparatus and a method for generating a wiring harness diagram used for manufacturing of wiring harnesses.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, various apparatuses for automatically manufacturing wiring harnesses have been proposed such as Japanese patent laid open publication No. SHO 63-58712 and others. In order to manufacture wiring harnesses with the apparatuses, the following steps need to be carried out before the manufacturing processes. At first, a wiring condition is determined in accordance with given circuit diagram(s). Then, the wiring harness(es) independent from others (hereinafter referred to as independent wiring harness) is found based on the wiring condition thus determined. Thereafter, connection between connectors, a length of wire(s) allocated between the connectors and a type of the wire(s) in the independent wiring harness should be obtained.
These steps require a certain period of experience. Even though, the designer of the wiring harness(es) has enough experience in designing thereof, there is still a high probability of making mistakes and/or miscalculations when wiring harnesses have a complex wiring. Further, the designer needs to carry out the steps again whenever a circuit diagram(s) is redesigned, so that the efficiency of the manufactured harness will be relatively low.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the above mentioned problems associated with prior art, and to provide an apparatus and a method capable of easily generating and modifying a wiring harness diagram being used for manufacturing of wiring harnesses.
In accordance with characteristics of the present invention, the operator obtains a desired wiring arrangement diagram by using entity input means and numeral value input means by referring to entities and length information displayed on display means while generating wiring harness information including a total length of the wiring between each connector in the desired wiring arrangement in accordance with the entities and the length information of the desired wiring arrangement. Therefore, it is possible to generate the wiring harness information including a total length of the wiring between each connector easily as well as inputting the desired wiring arrangement by referred to the displays.
Also, in accordance with characteristics of the present invention, connection information representing connections between each of the connectors are inputted to the apparatus of the present invention. In this way, the wiring harness information including connections between the connectors can easily be generated.
Further, in accordance with characteristics of the present invention, the connection information are inputted from an apparatus for designing circuits in the apparatus of the present invention. It is therefore possible to use the connection information being used during the design work with the apparatus of the present invention.
Still further, in accordance with characteristics of the present invention, an entity representing a connection between the connectors is also inputted in the apparatus of the present invention. In this way, a desired wiring arrangement can be inputted while displaying connections between the connectors on a display screen.
In accordance with characteristics of the present invention, the wiring harness information for outputting a wiring diagram illustrated in actual lengths of the wirings are generated in accordance with the entities and the length information. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a wiring substrate by fixing the wiring diagram thereon illustrated in actual size on the substrate at a proper position.
Also, in accordance with characteristics of the present invention, a wiring arrangement diagram not illustrating actual length of the wirings is displayed on the display device while outputting the wiring diagram illustrating actual length of the wiring from a printing device. In this way, the wiring diagram can easily be previewed on the display screen while obtaining the wiring diagram illustrated in actual size on a paper.
Further, in accordance with characteristics of the present invention, the wiring harness information of an independent wiring harness being connected to each other as a group is generated in accordance with the entities and the length information. Therefore, it is possible to obtain an independent wiring harness diagram or the like by just inputting an overall wiring arrangement diagram.
Still further, in accordance with characteristics of the present invention, the wiring harness information of the independent wiring harnesses including the connection information of each terminal between each connector is generated by additionally considering the connection information of each terminal between each of the connectors thus inputted. It is therefore possible to generate the independent harness diagram illustrating greater details.
In addition, the connection information of each terminal between each of the connectors corresponds to the entity representing the connector, binding part and the wiring. In this way, it is possible to recognize details of the connection data easily.
Further, in accordance with characteristics of the present invention, a judgement is carried out whether or not connection status of wiring in the independent wiring harness being extracted comply with a predetermined rule. It is therefore possible to judge whether or not the independent wiring harness which will be extracted comply with the predetermined rule by just inputting the overall wiring arrangement diagram. As a result, an independent wiring harness which does not comply with the rule can be rejected during the generation of the overall wiring arrangement diagram.
Still further, in accordance with characteristics of the present invention, correction of a given length of the wiring is performed by considering a length of displacement in actual wiring work as a correction value. In this way, the wiring harness having accurate length can be obtained in consideration of the length of displacement in the actual wiring work.
In accordance with characteristics of the present invention, the correction value at least includes a length caused by displacement of the wiring work or a margin for crimping the connector terminals. It is therefore possible to avoid displacement caused by the wiring work or the margin for crimping the connector terminals both having a great influence on the displacement during the actual wiring work.
Also, in accordance with characteristics of the present invention, part of the wiring harness information is provided to a wiring harness manufacturing device, the part of the wiring harness information being used in the wiring harness manufacturing device. In this way, data used in the wiring harness manufacturing device can be set automatically.
Further, in accordance with characteristics of the present invention, the wiring harness diagram is generated by performing the steps of: displaying connector and binding parts on a display screen and connecting therebetween with wiring as well as providing connection data between each connector, providing a length of the wiring connecting the connectors and the binding parts, and outputting the independent wiring harness diagram being connected to each other as a group in accordance with the wiring arrangement diagram and the length of the wiring. It is therefore possible to obtain the independent harness diagram easily while inputting a predetermined wiring arrangement while referring to the displays on the display screen.
Still further, in accordance with characteristics of the present invention, a substrate for wiring is manufactured by performing the steps of: directly drawing a wiring diagram in actual size on the substrate or fixing a sheet illustrating the wiring diagram in actual size on the substrate, and disposing a supporting member for wiring to at least a position of locating a binding part in the wiring diagram. In this way, position for disposing the supporting members to each binding part can be determined easily and accurately.
In accordance with characteristics of the present invention, a method for manufacturing a wiring harness using a computer, comprises steps of: inputting entities representing connectors, binding parts, wiring length information of the wirings from an input device, inputting a desired wiring arrangement from the input device by referring to a wiring arrangement diagram generated in basis of the entities and the length information and displayed on a display device, and making the wiring harness using information including a total length of the wiring between each connector, wherein the harness information is generated on the basis of the entitles and the length information of the desired wiring arrangement. It is therefore possible to make the manufacturing process easier as a result of easily obtaining the wiring harness information including a total length of the wiring between each connector as well as inputting the desired wiring arrangement with reference to the displays.
Also, in accordance with characteristics of the present invention, the wiring harness information is generated by additionally considering the connection information of each terminal between each of the connectors being inputted from an apparatus for designing circuits. In this way, the connection information being used during the design work can be also used in the manufacturing processes.
Definition of words and phrases used in the specification for describing the present invention as well as correspondence in the embodiment herein are as follows.
xe2x80x9cEntity input meansxe2x80x9d is means for inputting instructions for arranging at least entities representing connectors, binding parts and wirings. The entity input means includes not only a mouse or a tracker ball, but also includes other devices such as cursor keys of a keyboard. In the embodiments herein, the mouse 2 corresponds to the entity input means.
xe2x80x9cNumeral value input meansxe2x80x9d is means for inputting lengths of the wirings relatedly with at least each of the entities representing the wirings. The numeral value input means includes not only the keyboard, but also the mouse or the tracker ball by which the numeral value displayed on the screen is selected. In the embodiments which will be described hereunder, the keyboard 4 corresponds to the numeral value input means.
xe2x80x9cWiring harness informationxe2x80x9d means information about wiring harness including at least a total length of the wiring between the connectors.
xe2x80x9cWiring harness informationxe2x80x9d includes any form of information, such as drawings numeral values or characters. Further, the phrase xe2x80x9ctotal lengths of the wirings between the connectorsxe2x80x9d mentioned above include the lengths represented in the form of numeral values, actual lengths (actual sizes, or reduced sizes, enlarged sizes and in numeral values) in illustrated drawings or the like. In the embodiments described hereunder, a wiring length table shown in FIG. 10, wiring table illustrated in both FIGS. 13 and 19, an independent wiring harness diagram shown in FIG. 16 and a wiring diagram illustrated in FIG. 30 corresponds to the xe2x80x9cwiring harness informationxe2x80x9d respectively. Further, step S2, step S4, step S4, step S5, step S6 and step S7 shown in FIGS. 3 and 22 corresponds to the xe2x80x9cwiring harness information generating meansxe2x80x9d.
xe2x80x9cWiringxe2x80x9d is a line for connecting between connectors, and includes an electric cable, a fiber or the like.
xe2x80x9cApparatus for designing circuitsxe2x80x9d is an apparatus for designing circuits, and the apparatus is at least capable of outputting connection information of the connectors.
While the novel features of the invention are set forth in a general fashion, both as to organization and content, it will be better understood and appreciated, along with other objects and features thereof, from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings.